J&K cricket team won the Ranji Trophy title for the first time in 67 years

Updated: 06 Mar 2026

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J&K cricket team won the Ranji Trophy title for the first time in 67 years

Jammu and Kashmir created history by winning the Ranji Trophy title for the first time in its history by defeating Karnataka on the basis of first innings lead in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final.

After batting, J&K posted a huge score of 584 runs in their first innings thanks to Shubham Pundir’s century (121). In bowling, J&K dismissed Karnataka for 293 runs, largely due to a brilliant five-wicket haul by fast bowler Auqib Nabi, which gave a decisive first innings lead.
Experienced Mayank Agarwal scored a brilliant century (160), which was Karnataka’s only memorable innings. After this, J&K extended the lead of 291 to 633 in the second innings, in which Qamran Iqbal and Sahil Lotra scored centuries. The match ended in a draw on the 5th day, with J&K winning due to the first innings lead.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced a cash reward of ₹2 crore for the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team after its first Ranji Trophy victory.

About the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final

The final of Ranji Trophy 2025-26 was played from 24 to 28 February. Facing eight-time champion Karnataka, J&K performed brilliantly in the final at the KSCA Stadium in Hubli, Karnataka and gained a first innings lead.
The 2025–26 Ranji Trophy (also known as the IDFC First Bank Ranji Trophy due to sponsorship) was the 91st season of India’s biggest first-class cricket tournament Ranji Trophy.
It ran from 15 October, 2025 to 28 February, 2026. Vidarbha was the defending champion.

About the winners of 'Player of the Series' and 'Player of the Match' awards

J&K pace leader Auqib Nabi won the 'Player of the Series' award. 60 wickets in 10 matches, at an average of 12.56.
Left-handed batsman Shubham Pundir won the 'Player of the Match' award for his century in the first innings. Because of his innings of 121 runs, Jammu and Kashmir scored 584 runs while batting first, which was ultimately a very big score for Karnataka.
Jammu and Kashmir first participated in the Ranji Trophy in the 1959-60 season. After 67 years, they are the biggest champions of India’s domestic tournament. Once nothing more than a punching bag for big teams, this year has shown that J&K is ready to become a major force in the coming years.
Captain Paras Dogra declared the innings, and the match officially ended in a draw. J&K won on the basis of the first innings lead.
Jammu and Kashmir played their first game in 1960. However, their first victory in the competition came only in 1982 in their 99th match.
Coincidentally, this was the same year when Karnataka won its third title. However, over the past decade, J&K’s fortunes have steadily risen. They reached the quarter-finals in the 2013-14, 2019-20 and 2024-25 seasons.